Hang Out With Alpacas
Ticked off
Fluffy, curious and completely at home at 4,000 metres, alpacas make the high Andes feel like the friendliest place on Earth.
The adventure
Alpacas are everywhere once you reach the high Andes. Herds graze on the altiplano between 3,500 and 5,000 metres, their thick fleeces ranging from white to chocolate brown, while herders in brightly woven shawls lead them along the roads around Cusco and Lake Titicaca. Up close they are curious, gentle and slightly ridiculous, with fluffy topknots and long, swaying necks.
The best encounters are where they are part of everyday life. In the Sacred Valley, weaving centres keep alpacas and llamas you can feed by hand before watching their wool being dyed with plants and woven on traditional looms. On the road from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon, wild vicuñas graze in the Pampa Cañahuas reserve. Alpaca fibre has been prized since the time of the Incas, and today it is still spun into some of the softest knitwear in the world.
Alpacas are South American camelids, smaller cousins of the llama, and their wild ancestor is the vicuña. Alpacas and llamas can even cross-breed, though herders in the Andes try hard to keep the lines apart.
Why it’s epic
- Peru is home to the large majority of the world's alpacas.
- There are two breeds, the fluffy huacaya and the silky, long-locked suri.
- Their wild ancestor, the vicuña, produces one of the finest natural fibres in the world.
- Alpacas and llamas can be seen grazing around Lake Titicaca, at 3,812 metres one of the highest navigable lakes on Earth.
What it is
Alpacas and llamas are domesticated relatives of the wild vicuña and guanaco, kept in the high Andes for their wool.
How to do it
You'll see them across the altiplano, around Cusco, Arequipa and Lake Titicaca, and on farms that welcome visitors.
Top tip
Ask before taking photos of people with their animals; a small tip is usually expected.
Need to know
- Altitude around Cusco and Lake Titicaca can cause sickness, so allow a couple of days to acclimatise.
- The dry season from May to October brings clear skies but freezing nights.
Do it yourself
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Hang Out With Alpacas” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.